The team behind the unofficial Judge Dredd based fan film, Judge Minty, are at it again. They’re turning John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra’s glorious mercenary Johnny Alpha of the Strontium Dogs in to a fan film. We caught up with co-director Steve Green to find out more.
STARBURST: Why Strontium Dog?
Steve Green: It was really a chance to do another 2000 AD character as we’ve read the prog for such a long time and are curious to see how a strip translates to the screen. Johnny and Wulf are interesting characters; they’re killers but a lot more sympathetic than Dredd is. We also wanted to see where we could improve on what we produced with Judge Minty. Originally we had mulled over doing a Rogue Trooper trailer, but we chatted to John Wagner at the Lakes Comics Festival and he mentioned Strontium Dog, so we switched to that.
Which Strontium Dog stories do you want to tell?
Originally the idea started out as being much more of something like a sizzle reel, almost tick-boxing what readers might associate with Strontium Dog, but it evolved into something a bit more substantial. Strontium Dog covers a range of themes, it can be a bit more fantastic like Journey into Hell, or a war story like Portrait of a Mutant. We’re aiming for the sci-fi western look as a base, but people will spot elements from other Strontium Dog stories – I like that the world of Strontium Dog is very UK based, with regional accents. I’m not sure what non-readers will make of it though!
Why has 2000 AD lasted so long?
Sheer bloody-mindedness? Thrill-power? I think Pat Mills says it best in the Future Shock Documentary, about not messing too much with the formula – although in more colourful terms!
How different is it from Judge Minty?
It’s shorter, for one! Also, a little less bleak. Strontium Dog lends itself to some interesting visuals – the time weaponry, for example. Having two lead characters rather than just a single protagonist makes a difference. At a technical level, we’re trying to be a bit more considered, we have a fight co-ordinator on board, better lighting. We also know the pitfalls this time around, although I’m not sure if ignorance is bliss.
How have Strontium Dog’s creators reacted?
It’s been very favourable; Carlos in particular has been very gracious with his time and feedback. We’ve been pretty faithful to his designs. Johnny Alpha’s helmet took a few revisions, and Jock also gave us feedback since he’d gone through the process of adapting a comic character for film with Dredd.
How difficult was it to cast people?
Pretty easy – Steve Sterlacchini went through casting lists, but Matt and Kev were our first choice, and they’d worked together previously which was a bonus.
How can we see the movie?
The plan is to do a few festivals/conventions first, then it will be available to watch for free on YouTube and probably Vimeo as well. People usually ask about DVD/Blu-ray versions, but it’s not something we can easily do since it’s a not-for-profit venture. We gave some DVD copies away of Minty, but it’s much less of a headache to just put it on online.
How can we help?
Just spread the word (sorry, different strip), we should be finished filming in the next couple of months, once we get the basic edit done it will give us an idea if there are any holes to fill.
You can find out more at www.strontiumdogfanfilm.com
